2016 Jaguar F-Type S Review - Row Your Own Kitty [w/ Video] - 2016 Jaguar F-Type S with 6-speed manual AJ126 DOHC 3.0-liter V-6, tu...
AJ126 DOHC 3.0-liter V-6, turbocharged (380 hp @ 6500 rpm, 339 lb-ft @ 3.500 to 5.000 rpm)
6-speed manual ZF
16 city / 24 highway / 19 combined (EPA Rating, MPG)
20.1 (observed MPG)
base price:
$ 65,995 *
As Tested:
$ 89,250 *
* prices include $ 995 destination charge
Jaguar has long occupied an interesting niche in the luxury segment due to not being. a brand with a full range. With few exceptions, the main targets of the English brand were the E-Class / 5-Series, S-Class / Series 7 and any premium coupe and convertible, the Germans are selling right now. That changes now that Jaguar has decided to expand their portfolio with combat XE Series 3 and the first crossover of the brand, the F-Pace. (Yes, I know Jaguar has had SUV for decades called Land Rover, but I digress.)
Part of the revival of Jaguar was based product, and part was returning to Jaguar sporting roots. While many people still think of Jaguar as the mark which is the "English Town Car" (yes, that is a Lincoln reference) such as the 05 Super V8 is in my driveway, my "stuffily" Jag style was actually the beginning of the modern Jaguar we see today. You see, the X350 generation XJ was all aluminum and therefore, it could actually be described as "light and agile" in relation to an S Class of the time. the F-Type back to the old E-Type Jaguar of yesteryear, but this time you jumped Jag olde style and created one of the sexiest in the search Jags ever. in 2016 Jaguar re-twisted cut cabriolet and adding AWD and manual transmission
You heard that right hand fans: .. This kitty has a stick
Exterior
tribute to the Jaguar E-type is evident in the fall of tear rear shaped profile, while the tailgate of this Jag opens more classic and more practical than the classic Jaguar. If the door hit you in the rear weird, Jaguar will be happy lop it and sell you a cab with a rear deck flat for only $ 3,100 more. Unlike the 190s and 00s Jaguars, the F-Type has just the right amount of retro style without being kitsch.
The muscular haunches and long hood reminiscent of the E-Type, but not the same. Instead, we get sharp lines, a wide grille and angry and massive nozzles in the back. Similar to the Tesla Model S, the door handles of the F-type pop out when you unlock the car, then retire to a flush position when it is locked for better aerodynamics. There is a functional electrical spoiler integrated in the tailgate and intensive aluminum body has been specially designed to accommodate incredibly fat tires, even on our mid-range F-Type S tester.
inside
I'll be honest, the Jaguar I knew and loved is dead. You see, I this guy who loves mid 00s style Jaguar XJ - bubble projectors, acres of wood trim, "old style man" and the J-gate shifter. Unfortunately for me, we do not find one of those things inside the F-Type. Our model did not contain any dead tree and nothing that could be described as "weird" or "quaint." This interior is "all business." This does not mean that Jaguar lost his flair for the dramatic. HVAC vents center increase when cooling is required and descend into the depths of the dashboard when your royal personage is done with them. The finish is excellent in all F-type models, but the leather package on our tester had expanded stitched leather glued to nearly every interior surface, including the ceiling.
While the front seat proved comfortable for my part, the large passengers complained that the optional sports seats and fixed headrest hit them in a strange place behind their backs. Also on the down side, the F-Type is a strong floor in width and height. This does not present much of a problem in version two pedals, but launch a clutch there and things get cramped. For my size 12s, there was nowhere to put my left and right foot rubbed against the transmission tunnel and the brake pedal while driving. Fortunately, there is a little more space between the brake and the clutch, but people with larger feet may have problems with the manual.
Infotainment
Jaguar and Land Rover are behind other luxury inputs when it comes to snazzy embedded infotainment systems. Like the rest of the range of JLR, the F-Type uses a LCD touch screen in place of an input method button / rotary knob. The 8-inch LCD screen is bright, but set a little low in the dash, which means that your eyes are off the road when using the system. This is an important consideration since this system offers no voice command of traditional functions, including entering a navigation destination. While 2016 did not bring Apple carplay, the In Control program is halfway with integrated smartphone apps and navigation smartphone that supports voice control.
Jaguar compensates a lack of voice control allowing love you enter a shipping address in the system while in motion. Also offsetting the oldest software is an incredible sounding - and completely standard on all models -. 12-speaker, 770-watt Meridian surround speaker sound system
Training
Jaguar boosters like almost as much they like aluminum chassis. For 2016, all F-Type comes from the factory with a fan under the hood. Things start with a 3.0-liter V-6 (AJ126) which is actually related to the family Jaguar AJ-V8 engine and not Dutarec Ford V-6 that we saw the Jags in the last decade. The 0 degree tilt angle may seem unusual for a V6 (60 degrees designs eliminate the need for a balancer shaft), but there is some logic behind it. First, the V6 is on the same line as their 5.0-liter V-8 using a common tool. Second, the angle of inclination larger allows the compressor to be pushed lower in the "Vee" engine, which enables a lower bonnet line. This design is similar to supercharged V-6 Audi. Power reaches 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque in base models and the S trim gets a bump to 380 horsepower and 339 lb-ft. If this is not enough power (and why would it be enough?) There are still 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 good for 550 Jaguar ponies and 502 lb-ft of torque.
The major mechanical changes for 2016 start with electric power steering (boo-hiss), available AWD to satisfy buyers to the north and a standard manual transmission in the base V-6 models. The unit is a 6-speed ZF gearbox, but I have to say I am a little disappointed with the clutch feeling. It was not as linear as I would have liked and commitment was a little vague. ZF 8-speed automatic option now would my transmission choice since you will get better performance and better fuel economy if you let the kitty line gears for you. The high-performance R model gets standard and AWD is available topless for 2016.
player
The Lord giveth and he takes off, etc. it is with the F-Type. The manual 6-speed throws are short and commitment is pure perfection. However, it is not available with the V-8 fire-breathing, it can not be had with AWD. The clutch pedal is not the team player as I had hoped it would be and selecting it means giving both fuel economy and acceleration. manual transmission F-Type S buyers (like our tester) must know that the basic 340-horsepower F-type with automatic transmission to the stop light next to you is faster than you. And it gets better fuel economy. Slushboxes have come a long way. Progress has also exacted a toll on driving dynamics of the F-Type. hydraulic power steering of the 2015 model was practically the only port in the storm of the electric power steering and now he was traded for a power unit that is more effective. tail happy RWD dynamics of high performance model was exchanged for an AWD system that can actually apply all the ponies on the tarmac.
on my favorite twisty road, I must say that the only change made me shed a tear was management. (Although the clutch came close.) Otherwise, the behavior of the F-Type is pure perfection. Turn in is sharp as a razor, braking distances are a rare 111 feet, just a foot longer than the carbon fiber Alfa Romeo 4C. Dynamic Suspension Jaguar offers an almost perfect balance of a good lap and the limited roll and lightweight rear weight bias (49/51 front to rear) ensure that neutral handling is just that -. neutral
transmission and infotainment Manuel quibbles aside, the F-type is the kind of car you develop an emotional attachment. This is quite different in my mind to the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes SLK, the two that I like, but some through driving machinery as more sterile. The BMW Z4 is the best value, starting just under $ 50,000 for the four-cylinder version and just under $ 58,000 with smooth line BMW 6. However, the dual-clutch transmission in the BMW is not as smooth as the ZF 8-speed device uses Jaguar and BMW feels less connected and less emotional.
on the other hand, the dynamics of driving heavy rear Porsche models seem a little also emotional for my tastes. Has limit Porsche driving takes more skill and more accurately than the Jaguar, something I respect and understand that I will never possess. (I spun several times that I can remember in a RWD 911) Increase F-Type R and the comparisons begin to have trouble finding. At more than $ 100,000, the R naturally involved with the likes of the 911, the AMG GT S and dispersion of exotic species. In this society, the Jaguar seems a flight being some $ 20,000 $ 30,000 less than the German options. Although the F-Type is not quite as flashy as the AMG and not quite as polished as the 911, the head of the Jag turn the sheet gets more looks whether it is cheaper than Mercedes and easier to live with than the 911.
F-type is not the E-type reinvented. The F-Type is too comfortable, too isolated, and, despite the manual transmission, it is also too modern. Modernity has made it a little less fun kitten, a little practice and, at the same time, explains the manual transmission. Journalists like myself long complained of the lack of a stick in the F-Type. We affirmed that such an addition would be perfect sports coupe, but the truth of the matter is that we were wrong. Adding the manual to an existing platform caused compromises that include electric power steering and the cramped floor. Although 2016 F-Type is an amazing machine, I'm sad that "progress" has penetrated here. My advice would be to pick up a 2015 F-Type S for top management feel while you can, or just go with the AWD F-Type S and smooth automatic transmission. It is not as emotionally satisfying as the F-Type once was, but he still felt much more than the competition.
Jaguar provided the vehicle, insurance and a tank of gas for this review.
Specifications as tested
0-30: 2.3 seconds
0-60 : 5.5 seconds
1/4 Mile: 14.2 seconds @ 101
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